Chapter 77

“Luce,” Annie spoke softly into the receiver as she peered down the balcony of the bedroom overlooking the backyard. She searched the crowd for Lucy, only to find her stepping out from backstage into a hidden corner where only Annie could see her.

 

“Annie?” The surprise was clearly evident in her tone. “Where the hell have you been?” She looked over her shoulder cautiously in the hopes of not drawing attention to herself. “We've been worried sick!”

 

Annie chuckled, rolling her eyes. “No kidding,” she remarked. “Look up.”

 

“What?” her best friend was seemingly confused.

 

“Look up,” Annie repeated.

 

“Why?” Lucy asked defiantly.

 

“Just do it,” Annie's patience was wearing thin at that moment.

 

“Ugh,” Lucy groaned in annoyance. “Fine.” She finally looked up, her eyes meeting Annie's.

 

In turn, Annie gave her a courteous wave. “Surprise,” Annie half sang, beaming.

 

“What are you doing up there?” Lucy gaped at her in astonishment.

 

“I got called in for babysitting duty,” she said before looking over her shoulder. “Danny! Come out here!”

 

As if on cue, Daniel emerged from behind, allowing Annie to lift him up before pressing the phone against his ear. She soon leaned in to whisper something into his other ear. He soon looked down and found Lucy. “Hi Lucy noona!” he waved.

 

Lucy couldn't help but smile and waved back to the adorable boy. “Hi handsome!” she giggled.

 

Soon, Annie put him down then was back on the line. “As you can see, I'm kind of stuck here,” she said. “Not that I mind.”

 

“I knew that woman had something to do with your disappearance,” Lucy grumbled, rolling her eyes and shaking her head.

 

“It's not as bad as you perceive it to be,” Annie countered back. “At least, hanging with him will probably get my mind off Yongguk for a bit.”

 

“Good point,” Lucy commented.

 

“How is he doing?” Annie couldn't help but ask.

 

“I don't know,” Lucy shrugged innocently. “You could ask him yourself. Here. I'll let you talk to him—“

 

“NO!” Annie exclaimed immediately, waving her hand in the air. “Don't!”

 

Lucy snickered. “It's not a problem, Annie. I mean he's literally right here with me,” she mused, looking over her shoulder mischievously.

 

“Don't you dare!”

 

“Okay, fine,” Lucy wavered. “I won't.” She looked back up at her best friend. “Would you like some company?”

 

“Wouldn't they need you?” Annie asked wearily.

 

Lucy rolled her eyes, flicking her hand forward. “Pfft,” she scoffed. “They've been ing about me being the worst roadie ever. I'm over this job. If anything, I'd rather be hanging with you then being bossed around by Dae and Jae all day. Maybe Danny needs another playmate...”

 

“Are you sure it's okay?” Annie asked cautiously.

 

“Of course!” Lucy exclaimed. “I'm on my way up. Okay? Don't start without me.”

 

Annie chuckled. “I won't,” she said. “One other thing.”

 

“What's up?”

 

“Don't tell the guys where you're going,” Annie finally said.

 

Lucy gave her an assuring grin, along with a thumbs up. “Oh, I won't,” she said, glancing over her shoulder before sneaking away towards the mansion.

---

 

“Where is she?” Yongguk sighed to himself as he peeked from the curtain out into the incoming crowd. Jieun was opening the show with her own number before it was Yongguk's turn to share the stage with her.

 

“No clue,” Daehyun said from behind looking over the older male's shoulder. “Any sign of her out there?”

 

He shook his head, slumping his shoulders in defeat. Daehyun placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. Before long, he shifted his attention towards Youngjae, who was pacing back and forth with is phone pressed against his ear. “Any luck?” he asked with a hopeful smile.

 

Youngjae shook his head, placing his phone back into his pocket. “Nope,” he said. “It kept directing me to her voicemail. My guess is that her phone died or something. Other than that, she couldn't have gone far.”

 

“How would you know?” Yongguk asked defiantly.

 

“Hyung, knowing Annie, she wouldn't run off unless she's really angry. And, she has a job to do so I'm sure she's still around,” Youngjae looked ahead. “I mean I know she's stubborn and all but she's not that stubborn. Come on, now. For all you know, she could be right under our noses and we just don't know it yet.”

 

“Which might be true,” Daehyun added, nodding curtly.

 

“What's going on?” Himchan asked as soon as he saw his friends seemingly rattled. He was beginning to grow concern.

 

“Annie's missing,” Youngjae mentioned matter-of-factly.

 

Himchan scoffed, shaking his head. “Of course,” he mumbled to himself.

 

“What?” Daehyun said, looking over at Himchan, confused.

 

Himchan stared ahead, catching a glimpse of the woman in speaking as she wore a fake grin, greeting her guests. Youngjae and Yongguk followed his gaze before glancing at one another knowingly. “You think she might have something to do with Annie's absence?” Youngjae asked finally.

 

“I know she's the reason behind it,” Himchan replied firmly.

 

Soon, they were interrupted by a loud shuffle making his way to them. “Hyung—Lucy noona's—missing,” a seemingly breathless Zelo emerged from behind.

 

“What?” Youngjae perked up, turning to the younger boy. “How?”

 

Catching his breath, Zelo exhaled, shaking his head. “She told me she was stepping out for a bit and she's been gone ever since...”

 

“Did you try calling her?” Daehyun asked.

 

“I did,” Zelo nodded, looking away sadly. “She didn't pick up.”

 

“How so very like them,” Daehyun sneered. When Zelo gave him a puzzled look, Daehyun said, “Annie's gone too.”

 

“Annie noona's missing too?!” Zelo's eyes widened.

 

“That's what I said,” Daehyun mused, nodding.

 

Zelo cast a serious glance at Yongguk, who looked away in defeat. As much as Zelo would like to throw Yongguk under the bus assuming he was mainly at fault for Annie's absence, he knew better since Yongguk was his senior colleague and he had more respect for the guy than that.

 

Soon, Jongup entered casually. When he felt multiple pairs of eyes on him, he finally looked up. “What's going on?” he asked curiously.

 

“Have you seen Annie or Lucy by any chance?” Daehyun asked.

 

Jongup placed an index finger to his chin thoughtfully, then shook his head. “Annie noona, no,” he said. “But I think I saw Lucy noona headed towards the house. I'm pretty sure she was leaving.”

 

“What?!” Daehyun bellowed. “She can't just leave when she clearly has a job to do! Gosh! Could we just fire them already?!”

 

“Dae,” Youngjae turned to him.

 

Daehyun sighed in frustration, turning to face his best friend. “What?” he hissed.

 

Youngjae instinctively reached into his duffel bag, presenting a candy bar. “Here. Eat a Snickers,” he offered.

 

“Why?” Daehyun asked defiantly.

 

“Because you turn into Divahyun when you're hungry,” he remarked.

 

“I do NOT!” Daehyun shouted, seemingly outraged. The whole room went silent. His jaw dropped. “Do I really?”

 

“Yeah,” they all murmured at once.

 

Daehyun sneered back at them, grumbling under his breath before snatching the candy bar from his best friend.

 

Youngjae took a deep breath before clearing his throat. “It's gonna be okay,” he tried to sound as assuring as possible. “The girls will turn up eventually. At least we know they're still on the premises. Well, at least one of them... Actually, I'm not so sure.”

 

“Gee,” Yongguk bitterly spat out. “That makes me feel a lot better.”

 

Before anyone could respond, the curtain flew opened. “What's going on in here?” demanded Jieun, holding open the curtain with one hand and holding the mic with the other. “You guys need to get onstage. Now!”

 

The guys soon glanced at one another, sighing in defeat. What choice did they have? They couldn't back out of the show to go search for the two best friends now. “Alright, get into positions,” Yongguk instructed everyone.

 

The guys nodded obediently as they made their way onto the stage. The crowd began to roar with cheers and applause. It was a whole new experience for them and yet, it was enjoyable. Yongguk wished Annie was here to witness it.

 

“Alright,” he held out his arms for them to huddle closer. “I'm gonna need you guys to keep your eyes open in the crowd, in case you find her.”

 

“How? The lighting ,” Daehyun remarked, glancing back at the crowd. “We wouldn't be able to see anything since the spotlight's gonna be on us the whole time.”

 

“He's right,” Youngjae added, nodding in agreement.

 

Yongguk sighed in defeat. His reverie was soon interrupted by the melody of the song they'd perform with Jieun. “Get into positions!” she hissed at them. The song they were performing was called “Secret Love”.

---

 

“This is just like old times, remember?” Lucy stated as they played Monopoly with Daniel. Lucy had found it inside the huge closet in the room and just had to laugh at the irony of it since most of the city's elite residents were downstairs at that moment. Overall, it was enjoyable despite the many rules they had broken. It was the most fun they'd had since the day started.

 

Annie chuckled, nodding. “It is,” she agreed, before wearing a more solemn expression.

 

Lucy sensed something was up. “What's wrong?” she made no effort to mask her concern.

 

“Nothing,” Annie said, shaking her head, hoping to dodge the subject matter.

 

“Annie,” Lucy said firmly. “Seriously. You're a horrible liar. What is it?”

 

Annie sighed heavily. “This just reminds me of that time those snobs who went to school with us, I forget whom, threw that end of the year party and I was the only one who wasn't invited,” she finally said, fiddling with the cards in her hand as she watched Daniel move around on the board. “You got invited. Even Dae and Jae got invited. Even though I shouldn't let that affect me. It still really hurts, you know, being at the bottom of the social ladder...” She blinked back tears, taking a sharp intake of breath.

 

“Oh Annie,” Lucy reached over to place a comforting hand over hers. She remembered that day clearly. She had gotten dolled up that night while Annie stayed home and tried to keep herself busy that night. Not even having the room all to herself or reading new books she had purchased to keep herself occupied could get Annie's mind off the party. She'd often wonder how her friends were doing at the party. Despite her attempts to appear stoic and carefree, Lucy could tell Annie was devastated even though she was dismissive about it. “That party was a bust anyways. You didn't miss out on much.”

 

Annie sniffled, attempting a smile. “It's okay if you had a nice time, Luce. I won't get mad. I mean that was years ago.”

 

“I'm not kidding,” Lucy immediately said. “It was so boring. The only thing everyone cared about was getting wasted.” She scoffed, rolling her eyes. “And there wasn't a lot of food. Even Daehyun didn't enjoy himself, or he couldn't bring himself to enjoy it. And of course, Youngjae was getting abused because of his weight. They were both getting abused. I had to step in to defend them.”

 

Annie chuckled. “Okay, maybe you're right. I didn't miss out on much,” she said, attempting a smile.

 

“Exactly,” Lucy gave her a satisfied smirk.

 

“Thanks for staying with me, Luce,” she said with an assuring smile.

 

Lucy smiled warmly back at her. “Anytime, Annie,” she said. “I'd have done anything to get away from all of that.” She referred to the event going on downstairs. “I just won't stand around and watch Bang hurt you.”

 

“He's not hurting me,” Annie stated, coming to his defense.

 

Lucy groaned in frustration. “You're too nice, Annie! Stop it!” she demanded. “I saw the look in your eyes when you saw them together! Seriously, if I stuck around longer, I'd have to fight the urge to beat the out of him or his ex for all that matters. Dae and Jae or even Jongup and Zelo might have to hold me back from going into mode.”

 

“Luce,” Annie reprimanded her. “It's fine, okay? I'm fine. I mean I am kind of hurt but I'm sure me and Bang could fix this. I'm just a little stunned that's all. I'll just talk to him when this event is over and we can go about our merry way.”

 

Lucy sighed, nodding. “If you insist,” she half sang out. “But just know that I'll be here when the going gets tough, okay?”

 

Annie chuckled, seemingly touched by Lucy's overprotective streak. She appreciated the fact that Lucy looked out for her like a sibling she never had. “Thanks, Luce,” Annie grinned back at her. “I really do appreciate you keeping me company, even though you don't have to.

 

Lucy nodded before glancing at Daniel. “Not a problem, Annie. On the bright side, I get to play with this little bugger,” she playfully ruffled his hair.

 

He giggled in return. “Your turn, noona,” he said handing her the dice.

 

“Right on it, little man,” Lucy smiled warmly at him as he placed the dice in the palm of her hand. She proceeded to roll the dice before moving her figurine a few spaces down.

 

Outside, they could hear Jieun's opening song playing. Annie was a little envious at the girl's talent. Pretty and talented. The complete opposite of me. Just the right kind of girl for Yongguk, she thought solemnly to herself. After Jieun's performance, the boys were to share the stage with her. She had to admit, she was looking forward to what they had in store for everyone.

 

Soon, she heard the strum of an acoustic guitar and the sound of Yongguk's deep and husky voice along with the melody.

 

I know it ain't easy for the two of us
That's right man but you know what? What's up?
Sometimes I just don't care what people say, man
Things are goin' crazy all the time, you know?
I got no choice, let me just do this for love

 

She perked up, turning towards the source of the sound before turning to Lucy, who shrugged in return. “I guess that's them,” Lucy said.

 

Soon, they both stood up with Daniel in tow, making their way out to the balcony before each settling onto their own lounge chair. Lucy didn't mind plopping Daniel down on her lap as they watch the boys take the stage with Jieun. After Yongguk did his part, Daehyun took over the vocals, harmonizing with Jieun.

 

Their voices were so beautiful together. Annie sighed heavily as she watched on. The song itself lyrically tells the sad love story from the perspective of a celebrity and how they have to hold secret relationships. Come to think of it, she wondered if Jieun already knew about Yongguk's relationship with Annie.

 

Soon after, Yongguk and Jieun took center stage where they performed “Going Crazy” which was an emotional ballad track with a dark concept, which contrasted with Jieun's seemingly innocent cutesy image. The song incorporates various instruments which included piano, drums, and violin. It showcased her strong vocals with Yongguk accompanying her with his own rapping. Supposedly, the song's lyrics tells a story of a relationship in which the protagonist (Jieun) couldn't stand the stalking of her ex-lover (Yongguk). At least that's what Annie and she was sure everybody else in attendance was interpreting.

 

Annie wasn't sure if it was an act but the way Yongguk looked over at Jieun, broke her heart. It made her question why he and Jieun had broken up in the first place. Their chemistry was almost undeniable and it was unbearable to watch but she couldn't bring herself to tear her eyes away. Her eyes glistened as she tried to blink back tears. It's okay, Annie. It's just a performance. It's all an act, she told herself.

 

Soon, she felt a hand on her arm. Looking up, she found Lucy, staring back at her, concerned. “You okay?” she mouthed.

 

Annie nodded, wiping her face with her hand.

 

The song eventually wrapped up with Jieun exiting the stage, making way for the rest of the guys to join their leader as they proceeded to perform a few musical numbers. As expected, they won over the crowd that night, receiving a standing ovation. Despite the distress Annie was feeling, she was proud of them nonetheless. They worked hard and they deserved this kind of reception even if it wasn't a real concert.

---

 

“Should we tell them where we are?” Lucy asked, “I mean, look at them. They must be worried sick.” she chuckled glancing down at the guys who were backstage. She could see a few peeking from behind the curtain, scanning the crowd for someone. They were sure the guys were looking for them.

 

“I'd do it myself but my phone's dead,” Annie said. “Go for it.”

 

Lucy took out her phone to dial Youngjae, who immediately picked up after the second ring. “Where the hell are you?!” he hissed, seemingly outraged.

 

“Who is it?” someone asked eagerly, Lucy was sure it was Daehyun.

 

Youngjae chose to ignore him, sighing heavily. “Luce, is Annie with you?”

 

Lucy looked over at Annie, narrowing her eyes. “Who's asking?” she asked suspiciously. She knew the answer to the question anyways.

 

“We are,” Youngjae grew aggravated.

 

“She's right here with me,” Lucy said before handing Annie the phone. “Here.”

 

Clearing , Annie spoke into the phone. “Hey Jae,” she greeted him.

 

“Annie, what's going on? Where have you been? Where are you guys?” he asked frantically.

 

Annie sighed, instead choosing to ignore his interrogation. “You guys put on a nice show tonight,” she complimented him.

 

“Thanks,” he replied flatly.

 

“Can I speak to her?” a deep-voiced male asked in the background.

 

“Yongguk hyung wants to talk to you,” Youngjae said wearily.

 

Annie froze, swallowing hard. “No, don't hand him the phone,” she said. “I'm not ready to speak to him right now.”

 

“Annie,” Youngjae's tone was reprimanding. “He's been worried about you the whole time. The least you can do is tell him you're okay.”

 

“Tell him I'm dandy,” she feigned a gleeful tone even though that was not the case. “And also, tell him he did a great job with Jieun. Those songs they sang together were beautiful. No wonder they had perfect chemistry. I mean did you see the way he looked at her?” She scoffed bitterly. “Miranda's right, maybe they should get back together.”

 

Little did she know, the whole group including Jieun heard the conversation. Youngjae had managed to slip his finger onto the speakerphone button. The atmosphere grew silent once again. Youngjae's eyes widened, realizing what he'd done. “Oh ...” he uttered.

 

“What?” Annie sounded more alert than ever.

 

“Nothing,” Youngjae immediately replied, turning off the speakerphone.

 

“Oh and one other thing before I go? In case you guys were wondering,” she began, pausing for effect. “I'm still around. I didn't exactly disappear. And, I'm okay. I still have all my limbs and fingers, just so you guys know. Not that you care. In the meantime, break a leg. You guys put on a great show! So let's end with a Bang! Right?” She chuckled at her own joke before muttering. “No pun intended. Okay, I should get going now. Later.”

 

Youngjae exclaimed. “Wait—“ Click. He moved the phone away from his ear to see that she'd hung up, “Damn it!” He groaned in frustration before looking back at Yongguk, shaking his head, shamefully.

 

“Well, at least we know she's okay,” Daehyun managed to speak up.

 

“I'm really sorry, hyung,” said Youngjae, placing a comforting hand on Yongguk's shoulder.

---

 

“That sounded like it went swell,” Lucy remarked as soon as Annie handed the phone back to her.

 

“Well, at least they know we're okay,” Annie countered back.

 

“Yes, I know, Annie but don't you think what you said sounded a little too harsh?” Lucy asked, raising a brow.

 

Annie thought about it for a moment before nodding slightly. “Maybe a little,” she replied sheepishly. “I mean you know how it is. I tend to say things I don't mean when I'm mad.”

 

“Right,” Lucy nodded in agreement, frowning. “Don't we all.”

 

“Like I said, I'll talk to him when this is over,” Annie glanced back at Daniel, who was snacking on a piece of brownie. “I have a job to do.”

 

“Noona, can I have some more milk?” Daniel asked, there was frosting all over his lip,

 

“You sure can, buddy,” Annie grinned back at him before looking back at Lucy. “Do you mind pouring some in the glass for him?”

 

“Not at all,” Lucy stood up, making her way to the stand.

 

Annie grabbed a piece of napkin, walking over to the little boy. “Come here,” she said, taking his tiny little face in her hands. “You have a caked face.” She as she wiped. “There,” she moved her hand away from him. “All clean.” Instinctively, she leaned over to kiss him on the cheek, to which he immediately wiped the kissed cheek with his hand, making it all dirty again. Annie giggled wiping it away once again. Soon, she wore a more somber expression on her face. It was decided that she'd resign as his nanny. As much as she loved him dearly, she couldn't stand being around his mother any longer. “Danny,” he looked up at her curiously. “Can I ask you a question?”

 

He nodded innocently.

 

“Do you love me?” she asked curiously.

 

He giggled. “That's a silly question, noona,” he nodded.

 

Annie grinned, nodding in agreement. “It is a silly question, huh?” she coyly looked away from him, slightly frowning.

 

Soon, he placed a hand on her shoulder upon seeing her frown. “I love you, noona,” he said, hoping to cheer her up.

 

It did cheer her up a little, she blinked back tears. Breathing hard, a single teardrop slid down her cheek. “I love you too, buddy,” her voice broke.

 

He reached over to wipe her tear with his cake-filled hand. “Don't cry, noona,” he said, sounding cheerful. “Crying is for babies.”

 

Annie chuckled, nodding in agreement. “That's true, little man. Crying is for babies.”

 

“Then, that makes you a baby,” he said playfully.

 

“Yes it does,” she nodded, sniffling. She immediately pulled him close, hugging him tightly. “I love you so much, Danny.” She cried, pulling away from him. “Will you promise me you'll still be my friend?”

 

He grinned, nodding. “Yes, noona.”

 

She smiled sadly, extending her pinky to him. “Promise?”

 

He interlocked his tiny pinky with hers. “I promise,” he said.

 

Lucy watched on, blinking back her own tears as she watched the touching scene before her. This was really tough on Annie so the least she could do was stay strong for her best friend. Annie turned to face her with a solemn expression. “Lucy noona's back with your milk,” Annie said, allowing him to run towards Lucy, who in turn leaned over to hand him his glass of milk.

 

“Here you go, little man,” she said, ruffling his hair playfully.

 

“What do you say, Danny?” Annie said, looking over at him.

 

“Please and thank you, Lucy noona,” he responded.

 

Lucy felt her heart softened. “You're certainly welcome, handsome.”

 

Daniel instinctively walked over to Lucy, cupping a hand around her ear as if sharing a secret only the two of them should know. “Annie noona is crying because I called her a baby,” he half whispered.

 

“I know, she is a big baby, huh?” Lucy teased before softening once again. “Alright, little man. Why don't you go wash your hands with soap and warm water. We'll be right out here waiting for you, okay?”

 

He nodded before running off to the bathroom.

 

As soon as he was gone, Lucy made her way to Annie. Annie looked back at her best friend before breaking down in her arms. Lucy soothingly her best friend's back as she cried. “Luce...” Annie sobbed. “I can't say goodbye to him.”

 

“I know,” Lucy cooed softly.

 

“I've decided to finally leave. I realize I can't stick around any longer. It's selfish but I just can't stand being miserable and unhappy,” Annie continued. “If I could, I would take him away from her. She doesn't deserve him.”

 

“It's gonna be okay,” Lucy said dutifully. What was she supposed to say? She has never found herself in this kind of position before. The least she could do was tell Annie what she wanted to hear even though she was unsure if it was the right thing to do. “Just do what you have to do, Annie.”

 

“What if I regret it?”

 

“You won't,” Lucy said, pulling away from her as she reached over to wipe the tears away from Annie's face. “You should never live with regrets. This might be the right thing to do. He's gonna one day live to resent her and it's gonna be her loss. She's gonna be the one living with regrets.”

 

“I hope you're right,” Annie sighed heavily.

 

Lucy nodded in return, unsure of what to say next. “You should wipe your face before anyone notices,” she advised.

 

Annie chuckled, nodding. She soon averted her attention to the opened bathroom door. “Where's Danny?” she asked, becoming alert.

 

Lucy furrowed her brows in confusion, following Annie's gaze. “He should be in the bathroom washing his hands—“ she soon felt the color drain from her face.

 

“,” Annie soon ran over to the bathroom to find it empty. Immediately, she ran towards the door looking out into the long hallway. “Danny!” she called out.

 

Lucy soon emerged from behind. “Danny!” she called out along with Annie.

 

“We need to split up,” Annie said, stepping out into the hall. “I'll go this way,” she pointed in the other direction. “You go that way.”

 

Lucy nodded before running off without another word.

 

---

As it turned out, he was down the hall standing near a slightly opened door. “Danny!” Annie called out to him. Breathing a sigh of relief, she immediately rushed towards him. “There you are!” She took him in her arms. “Don't ever run off like that again!”

 

He backed away from her, keeping his focus to whatever was going on inside the room. Puzzled, Annie saw that it was dark. But it wasn't the appearance that made her curious, it was the hushed moans and grunting that could be heard. Instinctively, Annie reached over to shut the door only to be stopped by Annie. “Wait, Daddy's in there,” he said.

 

Annie froze. “What?” she looked down at him inquisitively.

 

“Daddy's in there,” Daniel spoke matter-of-factly. Before long, he pushed past her making his way inside.

 

“Danny! No!” Annie called after him, finding herself running inside after him.

 

The lights soon flickered on. Annie gasped at the scene before her. Of course, she recognized Daniel's father. He appeared to be a deer in headlights with an unfamiliar woman straightening up her elegant dress. “Auntie?” Daniel eyed the woman curiously before glancing at his father. “What are you and Daddy doing?”

 

Annie soon remembered who the woman was despite not seeing her as often. If she remembered correctly, she was a part of Miranda's inner circle of wealthy friends. “Danny,” the woman chuckled nervously making her way to him. “Look at how big you've grown!” She ruffled his hair. Annie wanted so bad to slap her filthy hand away from Daniel but she remained frozen in place.

 

“You know,” Mr. Shin's stern voice startled her, as he made his way to them. “For someone given the task of watching over him, you're doing a horrible job at it. Makes me question why Miranda hired you in the first place.”

 

“I-I'm really sorry,” Annie managed to say looking away. “I'll leave... Come on, Danny.” She reached out to take his hand, proceeding to leave the room, only to come face to face with Miranda.

 

“What's going on in here?” she narrowed her eyes.

 

Annie swallowed hard, averting her eyes away. “Hi Mommy!” Daniel greeted her. “Daddy and Auntie are here too! Look!” he turned his head, pointing with his free hand.

 

Miranda gasped, placing a manicured hand over . Her eyes widened before turning to her husband. “You... and my best friend?!” she bellowed.

 

Annie attempted to discreetly make her escape, ready to carry Daniel if it was possible. Uh-oh, I'm really getting myself into some deep ...Much to her relief, she spotted Lucy. “Help me!” She mouthed.

 

Lucy eyed Miranda wearily from behind then glanced at Annie. Reluctantly, she made her way over to them. “Hi Lucy noona!” Daniel exclaimed.

 

Annie and Lucy felt the color drained from their faces, gulping. Miranda soon turned to face them. “Who are you?” she turned to Lucy, her voice wavering.

 

“I-I'm—“ it was now Lucy's turn to stutter.

 

“Annie noona's best friend,” Daniel answered matter-of-factly.

 

“And what are you doing in here?” Miranda narrowed her eyes at Lucy.

 

“Well, you see, I heard Annie was watching over Danny and I just thought I'd help out a little,” Lucy chuckled nervously.

 

Miranda soon shifted her attention back to Annie. “Really now?” her icy stare bored into Annie's petite frame, making her feel even more small. “Well, you did a terrible job of it.” Instinctively, she snatched Daniel's hand from Annie.

 

“Ow, Mommy!” Daniel cried out. “It hurts!”

 

“I should have done this long ago but now seems like the perfect opportunity to do so,” Miranda smirked. “You're fired. Leave the key to the apartment by the door on your way out. Now I advise you to leave before I call someone to you from the premises.”

 

“Excuse me?!” Lucy bellowed out angrily, trotting towards her. “Are you serious right now?” She scoffed, getting into Miranda's face. “Just so you're aware. Annie's the best thing that's ever happened to Daniel and if you're going to take that away from him, he'll hate you forever, woman. Mark my words. All she ever did was look out for him while you're off screwing around with his music teacher for crying out loud!” There was a stunned silence.

 

“Lucy!” Annie exclaimed immediately. Lucy's breathing steadied glancing back at Annie, who shook her head frantically.

 

“You're so lucky Danny's here otherwise I would just love to take the law into my own hands,” Lucy smirked wryly back at her. “You disgust me, woman. I already feel bad for the next nanny.” She soon grabbed Annie by the wrist. “Come on, Annie. Let's leave before I do something I'll regret later.”

 

Annie gave the little boy one last look before turning to leave. “Goodbye Danny,” she said softly.

 

He furrowed his brow curiously. “Where are you going, noona?”

 

Lucy released Annie, allowing her to say her final farewells. “Your noona is going away and she's never coming back,” Miranda informed him in a sophisticated manner.

 

“I'll see you tomorrow, right?” he asked curiously.

 

Annie swallowed hard before shaking her head, blinking back her tears. “Noona's leaving now, Danny,” she said turning to leave. “Come on, Luce. The longer I stay the harder it is for me to leave,” she cried softly.

 

Lucy nodded, proceeding to lead Annie away.

 

“Wait, noona!” Daniel called out to her. “Annie noona! Where are you going?!”

 

Don't turn around, she told herself. It's gonna be okay. She wiped her tears as they made their way out. “Annie noona!” the cries were more frantic now.

 

“Come, Danny,” Miranda's voice rang out.

 

Lucy Annie's back as they made their way down toward the living room. “Hey! There you are!” Daehyun exclaimed excitedly. His expression was soon wiped away once he saw Annie's tears. “What's wrong?”

 

“Annie noona!” Daniel called from up the stairs.

 

Sniffling, Annie immediately brushed past Daehyun, inadvertently bumping into Youngjae. Ignoring his presence, she pushed past Jongup and Zelo before colliding with Himchan, who caught her in time. “What's going on?” he asked, looking into her eyes.

 

She shook her head, pushing herself away from him. “Annie noona!” Daniel continued to call after her.

 

Daniel's cries itself were enough to garner the attention of those in attendance. Soon, the crowd began to murmur as they saw Miranda emerging onto the staircase followed by her husband and the other woman. No one could stop the flash photographers and the meddling reports as they crowded around the staircase. Miranda immediately took Daniel into her arms hoping to shield him.

 

Glancing at the scene before her, she turned her attention towards the door only to find Yongguk standing before her. When he reached over to wipe her tears away with his hand, Annie slapped his hand away. “I have to go,” she said, attempting to keep her voice steady. She pushed past him, only to run into a female figure along the way. She looked up to find Jieun staring back at her curiously.

 

“What's going on in there?” she asked inquisitively. When she took note of Annie's puffy eyes and reddened nose, she soon grew concerned. “What's wrong? Is everything okay?”

 

Annie nodded, wiping her face before clearing .

 

“Annie, if there's something you should know,” Jieun began, considering her words carefully. “It's the fact that me and Yongguk are over. There's nothing going on. He really does care about you and I would like for him to be happy...”

 

“I understand,” Annie said, trying her best to keep her voice steady. “If you'll excuse me, I should get going.” She finally said before looking over her shoulder. “You coming, Luce?”

 

“Yeah,” Lucy's voice rang out from behind, rushing past Jieun without acknowledging her.

 

---

Annie spent the rest of the night crying to herself with Lucy to comfort her. “It's gonna be okay,” Lucy soothingly assured her. “Let it all out. I'm here for you.”

 

“I'm so sorry, Luce,” Annie sobbed.

 

“Hey,” Lucy said sternly. “Stop it. Stop apologizing. Stop being so nice all the time. You know how much it hurts for me to see that walk all over you. I'm not even sorry for telling her off. That deserved it.” She muttered before turning back to Annie, holding her tightly. “This isn't your fault, okay? It's seriously her loss. You really were the best thing that's ever happened to him. He loves you. She doesn't even deserve to be his mother. I'll tell you that.”

 

Annie sniffled, trying to smile. “Thanks Luce,” her lip quivered. “I really appreciate everything that you do for me. Honestly. I don't even know what I'd do without you.”

 

“Oh Annie,” Lucy cooed, caressing the small of her back. “I love you. Okay? You're my family. It's my job to do all of this. You deserve so much better.”

 

Annie chuckled. “Is there a position opening at the cafe?” her tone sounded hopeful.

 

“Alright,” Lucy pulled away from her, handing her a box of Kleenex. “Let's not get ahead of ourselves. You need some time off, woman. A job should be the least of your worries right now. We'll talk about this later, okay?”

 

Annie nodded, taking a few tissues from the box, wiping her face.

 

“Are you hungry?” Lucy asked.

 

Annie shook her head.

 

“Annie,” Lucy firmly said, “You need to eat something.” She stood up, grabbing her phone from the coffee table. “I'm ordering takeout.” She said, proceeding to browse through her phone book before dialing a number then pressing the phone against her ear. “Hi, I'd like to order for delivery.”

 

Sighing heavily, Annie leaned back against the couch shutting her eyes momentarily. Before long, her phone vibrated. Assuming it was one of her best friends, she absently picked it up. “Hello?” she answered, speaking softly into the phone.

 

“Annie,” Yongguk's deep voice rang out at the other end. “I'm gonna need you to come into the emergency room. It's Danny.”

 

Annie immediately sat up, her heart was racing rapidly. “W-what happened?” she croaked.

 

As soon as Yongguk told her, Annie dropped her phone onto the couch. She placed a hand over , muffling some oncoming sobs. Lucy soon hung up then immediately ran towards her. “What's wrong?” Lucy shook her.

 

Annie turned to her best friend. “Luce,” her voice wavered. “I need to go to the ER.” She stood up, grabbing her bag.

 

Without inquiring, Lucy nodded in agreement. “Okay, sure thing,” she said immediately standing up to grab her car keys from the counter. She knew right then and there that whoever Annie had spoken to on the phone called about a serious matter. As soon as she heard about Annie requesting to go to the emergency room, it was a serious matter and she found herself growing worried nonetheless.

---

A/N: Hello again! I've returned with my longest chapter to date. There is a lot going on in this chapter just so you guys know. Just about two or three more chapters to go before I can officially say goodbye to Annie. We'll find out what happens next. In the meantime, enjoy this one! ^^ I'll look over the chapter later. I kind of rushed through it trying to cram everything into one chapter. Happy reading! ^^